227 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Aug 25, 2019 11:01:06 GMT
I don’t know if it reached the West End but can anyone remember a musical version of Robin Hood? Bill Kenwright was involved and the cast were some of his version of Joseph. If it’s the one at the Piccadilly theatre in the era of Moby Dick then I saw this a few times. I remember it being a pretty cheap ticket and a lot of fun |
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227 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Aug 25, 2019 11:05:13 GMT
John Napier is an utter genius. I wish people could still afford his work and would beg him to design on the scale of TIME, LES MIS, CATS and STARLIGHT EXPRESS again for the West End (what a CV!)- though I know he still designs, nothing has matched the scale of those landmark shows. Only Lord of the Rings has come close to the spectacle of these shows. PS The TIME set was hugely reliable (unlike, say, Spiderman) and hardly ever malfunctioned. I don’t suppose anyone on the board went to John Napier’s exhibition in Eastbourne a few years ago? I just recently found out about it from his website but, yes such an amazing body of work - touched upon in this documentary from that event. Hope it has another life because he truly is a genius. And his work sorely missed these days. John Napier - Stages Exhibition |
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227 posts
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Post by paulbrownsey on Aug 25, 2019 11:35:01 GMT
Hard Times - The Musical. Haymarket Theatre Set in a circus and starring Roy Hudd. I couldnt stand any part of it. I just didnt understand the circus theme... Presumably something to do with a contrast between Gradgrind's obsession with facts and nothing but facts and the life of the imagination and fancy. |
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Post by jennapatchell on Aug 25, 2019 11:41:37 GMT
I remember seeing 'I Can't Sing! The X-Factor Musical' a week before it closed and I honestly really liked it, and I'm someone who doesn't even like X-Factor! Same. Loved it ! |
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Post by alece10 on Aug 25, 2019 12:00:56 GMT
I remember seeing 'I Can't Sing! The X-Factor Musical' a week before it closed and I honestly really liked it, and I'm someone who doesn't even like X-Factor! Same. Loved it ! Me 2 and I'm not an X Factor fan. It was just plain bonkers and great fun plus it had Simon Lipkin and a puppet. |
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1,736 posts
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Post by fiyero on Aug 26, 2019 12:37:22 GMT
Me 2 and I'm not an X Factor fan. It was just plain bonkers and great fun plus it had Simon Lipkin and a puppet. Me 3. It was fabulously crazy but was never going to sell in my opinion. Shame. I managed to see it twice in its short life (literally booking my second visit in the return home from my first) |
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243 posts
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Post by musicallady on Aug 26, 2019 15:34:00 GMT
I’ve got to confess I loved quite a lot of Which Witch - mostly EVERYTHING Viviene Parry did, as well as Maria Kesselman’s operatic vocals over the rock score (I never did see Benedicte Adrienne live). Camp yes, but never dull. Leonardo, on the other hand had me pondering the lighting rig for two thirds of the show. Possible the most arduous two (plus change) hours I EVER spent in a theatre. I’m also on board for the Robin Hood musical and Moby Dick at the Piccadilly. Singlehandedly tried to keep that theatre open in the early 2000s! Maria Kesselman was the first Christine I saw in Phantom and nobody has come close to her in that role. |
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215 posts
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Post by Peter on Aug 26, 2019 21:23:23 GMT
Anyone see Beautiful and Damned in 2004? It closed before I got a chance to go, but it seems a pro-shot copy of the complete show is on YouTube...
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2020 22:01:14 GMT
Dom mentioning Moby Dick sent me off an internet search for stuff about the show, see what was out there nowadays, any new footage etc, and i can't believe that it's on Spotify. I must be stupid. After all this time i have been getting out the physical CD and playing it, despite spotify being my main music platform. For some reason i assumed it was too obscure to be on there....I am officially stupid. Still love it. 'Obsession is not just a perfume!' I think that had the internet been around back then, it could have become a cult hit and lasted longer than the 3 months it did.
Teresa Kartell as Queequeg has such a distintive voice. I love it.
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751 posts
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Post by horton on Jan 21, 2020 16:03:58 GMT
'A Man Happens to a Woman' is an amazing song- and the score is constantly fun
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212 posts
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Post by sprampster on Jan 21, 2020 22:15:15 GMT
Fell in love with Moby Dick at the Piccadilly and saw it many times including last night x it was just brilliant and wore its heart on its sleeve as well as being camp as Christmas !!
Would love to see a reunion concert back at the Piccadilly with the original cast !! Also had the pleasure of sharing the stage with the much missed EMMA “can little girls get pregnant !” PRIEST a few years later
Ended up directing a production a while back that just made me beam !!
Long live Dick !!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2020 22:53:14 GMT
Would love to see a reunion concert back at the Piccadilly with the original cast !! I was thinking the exact same thing today!! Now that i have the score on spotify, i have listened to it for the past 2 days and it just makes me smile. It brings back so many great memories of the show. I can still see the seals pop out and sing along to Forbidden Seas (it was that number, right??) Like you said, it's camp as christmas. It was so much fun, which definitely comes across on the recording. i think i also saw it three times on student standby tickets, which were very cheap. I even still have my Moby Dick 3D glasses. I like that the large majority of the songs are performed straight, whilst all the staging provided the comedy. On. With. Culture! |
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Post by intoanewlife on Jan 21, 2020 23:12:10 GMT
I loved the original Arts production of Closer to Heaven. Sure the book wasn't great, but it was still fun and had plenty of laughs. The music, staging and choreography were fabulous and Francis Barber was amazing as were most of the cast. It had all the elements and with a decent director and a few structural changes it could easily be turned into much better show.
Plus it gave me the glorious life long memory of Louis Spence jumping off the stage and grinding on my 50 year old brother-in-law's lap in the front row.
As for it flopping, I don't remember it that way at all, it was always a workshop production. It extended once after Barber left, which was when it was scheduled to finish and only closed because the West End died after 9/11 and audiences dropped off after Barber left.
I thought it was much better than the borefest that was Taboo.
Pity the Union revival was so utterly horrible.
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212 posts
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Post by sprampster on Jan 21, 2020 23:14:01 GMT
Would love to see a reunion concert back at the Piccadilly with the original cast !! I was thinking the exact same thing today!! Now that i have the score on spotify, i have listened to it for the past 2 days and it just makes me smile. It brings back so many great memories of the show. I can still see the seals pop out and sing along to Forbidden Seas (it was that number, right??) Like you said, it's camp as christmas. It was so much fun, which definitely comes across on the recording. i think i also saw it three times on student standby tickets, which were very cheap. I even still have my Moby Dick 3D glasses. I like that the large majority of the songs are performed straight, whilst all the staging provided the comedy. On. With. Culture! And here is act one x |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2020 23:38:27 GMT
I loved the original Arts production of Closer to Heaven. Sure the book wasn't great, but it was still fun and had plenty of laughs. The music, staging and choreography were fabulous and Francis Barber was amazing as were most of the cast. It had all the elements and with a decent director and a few structural changes it could easily be turned into much better show. Plus it gave me the glorious life long memory of Louis Spence jumping off the stage and grinding on my 50 year old brother-in-law's lap in the front row. As for it flopping, I don't remember it that way at all, it was always a workshop production. It extended once after Barber left, which was when it was scheduled to finish and only closed because the West End died after 9/11 and audiences dropped off after Barber left. I thought it was much better than the borefest that was Taboo. Pity the Union revival was so utterly horrible. Did you not see the production at the Above The Stag, last year? It was great. Yes it has some book issues, but i agree that there is a better show in there. I love the score so much.
Actually there arn't many 90's flops that I don't love!
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Post by intoanewlife on Jan 21, 2020 23:52:21 GMT
I loved the original Arts production of Closer to Heaven. Sure the book wasn't great, but it was still fun and had plenty of laughs. The music, staging and choreography were fabulous and Francis Barber was amazing as were most of the cast. It had all the elements and with a decent director and a few structural changes it could easily be turned into much better show. Plus it gave me the glorious life long memory of Louis Spence jumping off the stage and grinding on my 50 year old brother-in-law's lap in the front row. As for it flopping, I don't remember it that way at all, it was always a workshop production. It extended once after Barber left, which was when it was scheduled to finish and only closed because the West End died after 9/11 and audiences dropped off after Barber left. I thought it was much better than the borefest that was Taboo. Pity the Union revival was so utterly horrible. Did you not see the production at the Above The Stag, last year? It was great. Yes it has some book issues, but i agree that there is a better show in there. I love the score so much.
Actually there arn't many 90's flops that I don't love!
No I missed it unfortunately. I had been to a show there not long before and it felt like the venue was going to be demolished by a tube train at any second which made the whole thing a little uncomfortable for me and that's without mentioning the horrible seats. Plus I still had the Union production buzzing in my brain *shudders The score is great! I even managed to find the original 15 minute version of My Night a few years ago which excited me no end. The book is completely fine, it just needs reframing so it is definitely Pauls story and not Billie's which is how is appears at the start. It should be framed as a flashback which he narrates. Plus it really needs a more definitive timeline of events, as it all seems to take place over about 4 days, which makes the whole love story aspect not work at all. He meets this guy who dies 2 days later and is meant to have fallen in love with him and be devastated...Really? The rest of it is fine I think. The boyband stuff is a little out of date now, but the gay stuff is still pretty accurate and very funny. In the end it is what it is. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2020 0:31:03 GMT
Like Positive Role Model, there is also an Almighty Remix of My Night, but i have never been able to find it. That's my holy grail.
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227 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Jan 22, 2020 1:06:27 GMT
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227 posts
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Post by ukpuppetboy on Jan 22, 2020 1:22:42 GMT
I don’t know if it reached the West End but can anyone remember a musical version of Robin Hood? Bill Kenwright was involved and the cast were some of his version of Joseph. If it’s the one at the Piccadilly theatre in the era of Moby Dick then I saw this a few times. I remember it being a pretty cheap ticket and a lot of fun Randomly found this clip from a Blue Peter promo they did for the show. Would be a great show for schools. Robin of Sherwood on Blue Peterv637g.app.goo.gl/SMoxbbiQryGjt4bL8 |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jan 22, 2020 7:50:13 GMT
Who else saw one of the all time classic flops... Which Witch?
That was special in all the worst ways
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318 posts
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Post by MrBraithwaite on Jan 22, 2020 8:49:02 GMT
Who else saw one of the all time classic flops... Which Witch? That was special in all the worst ways Never saw it live, but still love the recording and the video. If there was a time-machine... |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jan 22, 2020 8:57:53 GMT
Who else saw one of the all time classic flops... Which Witch? That was special in all the worst ways Never saw it live, but still love the recording and the video. If there was a time-machine... I went to see it. But sadly can remember almost nothing about it other than it being over the top and crazy. There are still occasional revivals in Europe I believe |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2020 10:38:41 GMT
I loved the original Arts production of Closer to Heaven. Sure the book wasn't great, but it was still fun and had plenty of laughs. The music, staging and choreography were fabulous and Francis Barber was amazing as were most of the cast. It had all the elements and with a decent director and a few structural changes it could easily be turned into much better show. Plus it gave me the glorious life long memory of Louis Spence jumping off the stage and grinding on my 50 year old brother-in-law's lap in the front row. As for it flopping, I don't remember it that way at all, it was always a workshop production. It extended once after Barber left, which was when it was scheduled to finish and only closed because the West End died after 9/11 and audiences dropped off after Barber left. I thought it was much better than the borefest that was Taboo. Pity the Union revival was so utterly horrible. Did you not see the production at the Above The Stag, last year? It was great. Yes it has some book issues, but i agree that there is a better show in there. I love the score so much.
Actually there arn't many 90's flops that I don't love!
LOL - I am the same - there aren't many 90s flops that I don't love either! Many, like Moby Dick just had this mad sense of fun that didn't need to explain itself. Was all a bit bonkers, you know, just because why not. Closer To Heaven another fave. Above The Stag version was good fun too. Though Dear God the seating was beyond uncomfortable. I do think these days everything is very earnest or has to be making some kind of social point. I suggest we just bring back the insanity! |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2020 10:44:23 GMT
Did you not see the production at the Above The Stag, last year? It was great. Yes it has some book issues, but i agree that there is a better show in there. I love the score so much.
Actually there arn't many 90's flops that I don't love!
No I missed it unfortunately. I had been to a show there not long before and it felt like the venue was going to be demolished by a tube train at any second which made the whole thing a little uncomfortable for me and that's without mentioning the horrible seats. Plus I still had the Union production buzzing in my brain *shudders The score is great! I even managed to find the original 15 minute version of My Night a few years ago which excited me no end. The book is completely fine, it just needs reframing so it is definitely Pauls story and not Billie's which is how is appears at the start. It should be framed as a flashback which he narrates. Plus it really needs a more definitive timeline of events, as it all seems to take place over about 4 days, which makes the whole love story aspect not work at all. He meets this guy who dies 2 days later and is meant to have fallen in love with him and be devastated...Really? The rest of it is fine I think. The boyband stuff is a little out of date now, but the gay stuff is still pretty accurate and very funny. In the end it is what it is. Where did you find the 15 minute version of My Night? I agree - wouldn't surprise me if there was some conflict re who's story it was. The Pet Shop Boys only ever talk about Billie Trix whereas Harvey who has kept more of a dignified silence probably wanted it to be Straight Dave's (I think this is who you mean when you said Paul?!) Anyway, the PSB have constantly banged on about how doing Closer To Heaven was not a pleasant experience for them. Which annoys me no end as I have all the PSB albums, and CTH is probs my fave of the lot. Frustrates me when writers create a work of brilliance and don't seem to like it themselves! |
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Post by horton on Jan 24, 2020 12:31:18 GMT
The recurring problem at the root of these stories comes down to bad producing: METROPOLIS- egomaniac at the helm; GHOST- terrible lack of control of costs; MOBY- wrong producer, with Cameron just not knowing how to make it the next Rocky Horror as it could have been; CLOSER TO HEAVEN- heavy-handed interference in the artistic process (plus a dollop of bad luck leading to scheduling conflicts for some key creatives).
However I would take any one of those over the current trend- not sure whether we are in an Anti-Golden Age or whether this is Austerity Theatre, but I can't bear the cut-down, striped-back, underpowered productions of shows that demand spectacle. And musicals are a heightened form- they need spectacle.
I can't agree that "it's the best we're likely to get/ it's the only way we can produce these show"- especially when the end product misrepresents what the show was meant to be: Menier and Hope Mill are lead offenders in this respect: no I don't want a chamber-piece La Cage because I remember the sumptuous, glorious original. I'm not grateful for a Mame with 3 in the band- no wonder Herman was unhappy! An actor-muso Chess? F-off!
I know not every new show is under-produced, but I worry that there is a generation of young performers and audiences who will see anaemic productions of classic shows and think that is the way they are meant to be.
So Bravo to Which Witch, Metropolis, Hunting of the Snark, Children of Eden, Ziegfeld et al for being BIG glorious disasters!
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